Greg Hibbard

I'm still not giving up yet. I would feel much much worse if we had put together great stats and had a 19-22 record to show for it because we kept losing 6 games by one run to win the 7th by 14. What's not sustainable are the stats our players are putting up. This team has already shown the ability to put one winning streak together, and another 8-9-10 game stretch of really good baseball isn't just possible, it's an eventuality. We have no hope of the division if KC stays this hot but I refuse to believe this particular group of players doesn't have an 85-90 win season in them.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 18, 2015 -> 02:10 PM) At least he is being consistent. I can respect him for that. The ones that drive me crazy are the ones who seem to think the bad start was Ventura's fault, but the turnaround was luck or something. I think Ventura did nothing to inspire the team during the rut (it may not have been his fault either), and I think he's doing nothing to pull the strings during their hot streak either. I just can't figure out why he's the manager of this team.

Not even Rongey gave Ventura credit for the turnaround. He said "the start wasn't Robin's fault" and "the turnaround wasn't Robin doing anything" during yesterday's postgame. So in that case, what is Ventura doing, from Rongey's perspective?

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ May 7, 2015 -> 02:46 PM) We have been horrible on offense all year except for a few innings and some major help from the opposing defense Agreed. What the f*** is Ventura managing a team that cannot afford an incompetent manager?

QUOTE (fathom @ May 7, 2015 -> 02:39 PM) Bad managing, but this game was lost by the offense. Offenses struggle. That's baseball. That's why the best hitters in the game struggle to get hits even 1 out of 3 times. What the f*** is Ventura doing managing this team, though? That's what I can't figure out.

Ventura's managing is indefensible

This was a really well played game, IMO

On the train back from the game. Had a great time at the park - hadn't been in a while. Miscues were keystone cops but it was nice to see Shark settle in and come alive.

I really don't understand how anyone who has been watching the White Sox for a long time could think 22 games will decide this season. It's not just 2001, there are tons of other examples, both ways. One need look no further than 2006 or 2000 to see a really hot team cool way off in the second half. The next 30 are crucial. If we finish the first 50 games around .500 I could still see us winning 85-90 games.

Pretty sure I'll be the only guy in the park with a road #22 Josh Fields jersey (I won it in a bet) Must win tonight. Let's do this.

It's way too early to make rash decisions. The 2001 White Sox started 8-19 and finished 83-79. At one point in late September, they were 78-72. They weren't ever really in it - but they had high expectations coming off of the 2000 division title, started out worse than anyone could have possibly imagined, and completely turned it around. Had the fifth playoff spot been in play - the 2001 White Sox would have finished just 2 games out of that slot. Let's not talk about the White Sox - let's talk about the field. I see a West and East with every other team besides the frontrunner below .500 at this point. I see a Detroit that's gone 6-7 in their last 13. I see a Kansas city that's gone 5-6 in their last 11. I see a Cleveland and a Minnesota full of holes. Now, let's talk about the White Sox. I see a team playing just about as bad as they possibly can, in terms of fundamentals and errors. I see a team hitting .242 with an team ERA north of 4.5 - and still just a handful of games under .500 despite that. Folks, we are hitting the bad end of the variance right now, and after this Detroit series - even if we get swept....we have the next 16 games mostly at home ALL against very beatable teams to get fat on - Cincy here, at Milwaukee, at a bad Oakland, vs. Cle and Min at home.... Don't close the book on this season until after the May 8-May 24 stretch. I see us going 10-6 there and clawing back into this thing.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 01:18 PM) Gotta say on this one...the Royals right now remind me of the recent Detroit Lions. I hesitate to condemn our team for getting a little rough with a team that's embracing their "be a bully" side as a way to come together. I will say that guys like Shark, Sale have to be better. They can go up to the point where they get suspended, but if they get beyond that and do draw a suspension, they physically cost the team wins. Ditto for anyone else who gets tossed. Exactly my point. Shark, Sale, have to be better. This is about who is managing these elements.....team-wide. When s*** like this happens, we don't need loose cannons deciding how many future games we're potentially going to forfeit. Wish this team could just go out and consistently start beating people's brains in on the field two or three days in a row - but I guess at this point it's just too much to ask.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 01:15 PM) Scumbag pitcher hits our best player, scumbag pitcher tells our leadoff hitter to f*** off for no reason and it's Robin's fault the whole team got involved. That's a total copout. If you want to get made about something from the 3rd base dugout you get mad Sale/Samardzija went ape or that their teammates didn't do better to hold them off. For no reason? Do you know what Eaton said?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 01:13 PM) If Avi Garcia would have had a hit in either of the two plate appearances before his last AB when he did single, the Sox would have won the game, and your perception on how Robin handled last night most likely would have been different. So, in your opinion, a manager is a completely useless position we can overlook, just as long as the players perform in the clutch? Gotcha. So, why exactly do we have Robin Ventura as the Chicago White Sox manager, again?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 01:03 PM) With all due respect, you have no idea what he said, or didn't say, to his team. You are assuming he said nothing, beacuse he said nothing publicly. You're right, I have no idea what was said. However, I've been watching the White Sox for over 35 years, and my opinion is that I can tell when a manager doesn't really seem to have a hand in direction, control or handling of his team.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 12:59 PM) I'm all for Ventura being replaced...he should have never got the job in the first place. But to say he did or said something wrong last night? No, I don't think he did anything wrong, or said anything wrong publicly. Chances are he's pissed at some of his players right now, as well as the Royals. it's what he DIDN'T say that bothers me. I don't know. I'm really f***ing pissed today.

QUOTE (shakes @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 12:57 PM) Are you seriously asking this question the day after a brawl, and our top two pitchers trying to fight the entire opposing team? on the field, between the lines, during the games? I don't see much from our lineup, consistently. Yeah, I saw a couple of loose cannons go off in a fight last night. Hopefully it carries over to game play for a few games in a row.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 12:53 PM) The Robin Ventura angle on this fight...if you're anti-Robin, choose your battles. This isn't one of them. Every f***ing game is a battle I'm choosing, currently. Please, by all means, enlighten me as to where he has excelled in the department of "manager" in the 2015 season.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 24, 2015 -> 12:51 PM) The assumption of course being that because Ventura didn't tell the media what he said to his team, that must mean he said nothing. That's not my assumption, necessarily. I'm giving you my observation. I see nothing from this team in terms of fire or cohesion, and that does come from the top down. Do you see any evidence to the contrary?

After some reflection, I'm just angry about this whole thing today. I'm angry at Eaton for apparently instigating a shouting match, I'm angry at Shark and Sale for being loose cannons, I'm angry Avi couldn't pull the trigger or lay off some questionable pitches, I'm angry about our f***ing lack of execution with runner on 2nd, 0 out in extra innings. We couldn't even effectively get him over. Most of all, what I'm angry about is Robin Ventura's "things have happened before with this team" comment about KC. What makes me particularly angry is that there is absolutely no accountability and there's no fire from this manager. I want to see some f***ing EMOTION about this loss. You're at home against a contending division rival, a bench clearing brawl happens, five players are ejected including two of your three best starters in an extraordinarily important divisional series that will largely decide how the next month may go - and your apparent f***ing response as a manager is "well, what CAN you do?" I want a closed door meeting - that should come from Robin. I want a manager calling out HIS OWN players for their lack of DISCIPLINE. I want a manager doing ANYTHING to light a fire under this team which has a total lack of cohesion. We need a CHANGE in this department. WHY do we have this manager? I like Robin as a player (god I'm tired of that qualification). I've seen NOTHING from him that he adds ANYTHING to this team in the management department, and the response AFTER THIS - an important f***ing home game against a division rival that we SHOULD have won - is INFURIATING. These types of games are the difference between 75 and 90 wins, folks.

Ozzie made several crucial calls during the playoffs which were arguably the most important calls of their respective games. bringing in El Duque with the bases loaded and no outs.... deciding to bring Buehrle in as a closer for the first time ever.... I could go on. His importance to that playoff run and outcome cannot be equated with 'any other member of that team' that is utterly foolish logic.

Alexei gets an "A" for .273 with a .713 OPS?

I really thought he'd eventually figure it out. Now I'm just angry that we stuck with him so long.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Apr 17, 2014 -> 11:38 AM) Go anywhere, museum, movie, great america is like a vacation in and of itself, zoo, local carnival for christ sake. Start at about $50 and go from there. A White Sox game is no more expenses than those. Yes, many other forms of live entertainment have gotten disproportionately expensive recently. I don't do many of those things as well, because the cost is outsized to the value I perceive of the product. Concerts, Great America, the Zoo...everything. In the early 2000s, I made about half the money I make now but I found a way to go to about 20 games a year. Nowadays, I'm lucky if I make it to one, even though I have way, way more money. Why? Because my HOME entertainment options are way better. I have better television programming alternatives, I have a better internet. I also now have a high definition huge TV and a DVR to cut out commercials. Personally, I don't go to White Sox games anymore largely because I can watch them on crystal clear high definition television - without commercials - for zero cost. Suddenly, an all night commitment...getting to the ballpark.....all night there.... at $30-$40 plus food becomes a whenever-I-want-thing for 60 minutes at no money. It would be substantially more attractive to me if the cost was more in line with what I perceive the value to me to be. That's just me, though. It could be different for different people. However, if you have a family of four, and the average cost to get them all into the ballpark is $25-$40 a ticket....plus other stuff.....for just a regular season ball game....that would seem to me to be very outsized from what most people can afford to blow on a couple hours of entertainment.

Specials aside, though, what is the AVERAGE cost for a family of four to go to an AVERAGE white sox game? Also, I was talking about HOME entertainment options being better these days.